Pathfinder K-8 School Activities

Participation in student-oriented activities is a vital part of a student’s education. Pathfinder K8 offers a wide range of activities including the following:

Additional student activities are provided by our Seattle Public Schools Athletics program.

Unicycle Team

The Unicycle Team practices every Friday after school and has performed at Seattle Sonics and Seattle University halftime shows playing basketball on unicycles. In addition, the unicycle team is a regular performer at the West Seattle Parade and in July 2010 performed in the Torchlight Parade.

Girls on the Run

Girls on the Run is a curriculum based, experiential learning program that utilizes the power of running to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.

The program is offered twice a year to 3rd-5th graders, during the spring and fall, at various locations throughout the Puget Sound region, including Pathfinder K-8. Each program session is 10 weeks long and consists of 20 lessons. Program sites meet twice a week for 1.5 hours in the afternoon.

Each session is led by a team of trained female volunteer coaches that guide and mentor the girls through the fun and uplifting curriculum. Along the way, the girls train together to walk or run the non-competitive New Balance Girls on the Run 5k (3.1 mile) event which takes place at the end of the program session. Completing the 5k event give the girls a chance to shine and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment!

After School Program

Please look for the Catalog and registration forms online or contact via email at afterschoolprogram@pathfinderk8ptsa.org. Registration is now online! Payment will be due at the time of registration.  Scholarship assistance is available. Please see: Pathfinder K-8 PTSA After School Program for more information.

The Earth Project at Pathfinder

Empowering students to discover their connections to the Earth, themselves, and one another.

Activity Coordinator -Karen Stone

The Earth Project (EP) is a collaboration between Pathfinder’s PTSA, teachers, parents, and the land itself. The Earth Project team works with teachers to provide excellent outdoor education in a fresh-air environment. Children learn about the cycles of life through planting, harvesting, and observing the garden of native and non-native species from season to season. Our garden educators also teach about water management with the large-capacity cistern and neighboring rain garden, and are extending the outdoor classroom to support more garden work, activities that support Social-Emotional Learning, and school-wide events. Indoors, the Earth Project team promotes composting and proper waste management with the student “Green Team”. Please contact Karen Stone for more information:  earthproject@pathfinderk8ptsa.com 

The Buddy Program helps Pathfinder students learn to be friends with other Pathfinder students. There are many different types of students at Pathfinder, including students who have special learning needs. Some of these students have disabilities, such as Autism, and need extra help from teachers in order to learn and play while they are at school. The Buddy Program helps students with disabilities, such as some of the students in the Bee (K-2), Fox (3-5) and Lynx (6-8) classes, and students without disabilities in other classes, to learn how to be friends with one another. The Buddy Program teaches skills and provides support to students in learning how to talk to each other, play with each other and learn alongside each other.

Family Math Night

Each January Pathfinder families gather for a fun night of games designed to encourage and build math skills. Each student goes home with a math game appropriate for her or his grade level that can be played at home.

World Travel Program

Pathfinder K-8 is proud to offer the ultimate expedition – our World Travel Program. The program is designed for the Upper Grades (6th, 7th, and 8th) to see themselves as “global citizens” and to help them develop an understanding of community and service learning. The goal is to create youth ambassadors that represent our school and country. Students in the program participate in an after school World Travel class once a week. They prepare themselves academically, socially, and emotionally for travel. Each student creates their own independent project about one aspect of the country that interests them and conducts field research on the trip. When they return, they use their research to create a paper and presentation for their families and friends.
The program has visited places such as China and Romania. In April 2020, we will travel to Belize.  

Science Fair

Every spring the Pathfinder K-8 Cafeteria is packed with amazing Science Fair projects by over 100 students from Kindergarten to eighth grade. Leading up to the event, several help sessions provide students with support with everything from choosing a project, to supplies, to writing up their conclusions.

Associated Student Body (ASB)

Our Student Leadership Council provides leadership opportunities for students at all grade levels. Students represent our school and help lead, plan and sponsor fun school events. Student Leadership Council plays a key role in our Penny Harvest. Other activities include: planning monthly School Spirit Days, Middle School dances, service projects for the school and much more.

Holiday Craft Fair

Each December Pathfinder students, staff, and family members show off their amazing artistic talents and sell on trade their crafts at our annual craft fair. Students of all ages can participate. During the day, students have an opportunity to sell or trade with other students. The evening event includes Pathfinder adult vendors.

Spirit Days

Each year our Associated Student Body decides on a schedule of spirit days that give students and opportunity to show their Pathfinder K-8 spirit. Past days have included: Pajama Day, Wacky Hair Day, Literary Character Day, Twin Day, and Backwards Day.

Elder Luncheon

Our Elder Luncheon is a Pathfinder tradition that encourages students to invite a special “elder” in their lives to attend a school luncheon. The event is typically the Friday before Thanksgiving in November.

Sharing the Gift

Sharing the Gift the gift is another unique tradition at Pathfinder K-8. This program started many years ago – the idea is that for two hours every Friday afternoon in May kids get to explore interesting, fun, and new areas of learning! Teachers and parent volunteers plan classes around all kinds of cool things, their “gift”, such as Cooking, Sewing, Art, Skim Boarding, Rock Climbing, Drama, Ninjas, and more.  Kids from throughout the K-8 community select their top five choices, and then the hard work of sorting them into different classes begins. All ages work together.

Dances

Each year Middle School students have the opportunity to attend three dances at Pathfinder K-8: fall, winter and spring.